College Inc. - Will USC be next to join the Common Application?: ...The lure of the Common Application is the promise of more apps. Industry wisdom dictates a one-time, permanent jump of 5 to 10 percent in the applicant pool for a college that adopts the Common App, simply because the gesture makes it that much easier for each student to apply.
Mind you, no admission dean I interviewed for today's Post article cited 'more apps' as a significant reason for going Common. The deans -- along with their presidents -- say they are drawn to the Common App by the promise of a more diverse and democratic applicant pool.
Think of a first-time college attender in a public urban high school. Admission deans picture that kid in the office of her college guidance counselor, completing a Common Application. Admission officials have come to regard the signature application as a vain indulgence for a university trying to reach the broadest possible pool.
